Special events planner vs lead event specialist

The differences between special events planners and lead event specialists can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 1-2 years to become both a special events planner and a lead event specialist. Additionally, a special events planner has an average salary of $50,325, which is higher than the $34,064 average annual salary of a lead event specialist.

The top three skills for a special events planner include national security, event planning and event coordination. The most important skills for a lead event specialist are customer service, food safety guidelines, and facebook.

Special events planner vs lead event specialist overview

	Special Events Planner	Lead Event Specialist
Yearly salary	$50,325	$34,064
Hourly rate	$24.19	$16.38
Growth rate	18%	18%
Number of jobs	28,688	13,919
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Average age	38	38
Years of experience	2	2

Special events planner vs lead event specialist salary

Special events planners and lead event specialists have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Special Events Planner	Lead Event Specialist
Average salary	$50,325	$34,064
Salary range	Between $29,000 And $84,000	Between $23,000 And $48,000
Highest paying City	-	-
Highest paying state	-	-
Best paying company	-	-
Best paying industry	-	-

Differences between special events planner and lead event specialist education

There are a few differences between a special events planner and a lead event specialist in terms of educational background:

	Special Events Planner	Lead Event Specialist
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 73%	Bachelor's Degree, 58%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	San Diego State University	San Diego State University

Special events planner vs lead event specialist demographics

Here are the differences between special events planners' and lead event specialists' demographics:

	Special Events Planner	Lead Event Specialist
Average age	38	38
Gender ratio	Male, 23.6% Female, 76.4%	Male, 37.7% Female, 62.3%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 11.1% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.1% Asian, 5.8% White, 62.0% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%	Black or African American, 11.2% Unknown, 4.7% Hispanic or Latino, 16.5% Asian, 5.9% White, 61.4% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.2%
LGBT Percentage	16%	16%

Differences between special events planner and lead event specialist duties and responsibilities

Special events planner example responsibilities.

Select and manage live entertainment for VIP parties, special events and weekend entertainment.
Maintain business website and manage Facebook account.
Create and present PowerPoint presentations at trades shows and workshops.
Orchestrate seamless industry VIP and charity events worldwide involving up to 800 guests and budgets of up to $12K.
Develop agenda and itinerary, organize and procure all speaker biographies and materials and logistics for successful program execution.
Assist in the development of sponsorship opportunities, themes, and giveaways.

Lead event specialist example responsibilities.

Manage all FOH operations of a consistently busy, tourist destination restaurant.
Manage all aspects of these events and act as onsite manager to ensure meeting are delivered effectively and professionally.
Represent major brands in the gifting suite distributing gift bags to celebrities and VIP guests.
Leverage corporate partnerships and trade accounts to create VIP client experiences to help foster those relationships and increase YOY revenue.
Reviewed/Revise current technical methodologies, coordinate validations of new assays, independently troubleshoot problems relating to routine operations of the laboratory.
Prepare and serve food samples using small appliances such as microwaves, fryers, skillets, coffee makers and knives

Special events planner vs lead event specialist skills

Common special events planner skills

National Security, 21%
Event Planning, 7%
Event Coordination, 7%
Event Management, 6%
Event Logistics, 5%
Event Budgets, 4%

Common lead event specialist skills

Customer Service, 14%
Food Safety Guidelines, 10%
Facebook, 10%
Product Demonstrations, 9%
Event Planning, 9%
Food Preparation, 7%

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Special Events Planner
Special Events Planner vs Lead Event Specialist

Updated January 8, 2025

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